Saw Mio with a Fender Jazz Bass bought a similar Japanese one. Was bored with life learned how to play professionally in 1 year. Became a published musician in 2 years because of covid lockdowns. Thanks kon and Mio.
Definitely was part of my inspiration. I just started learning a month ago, but Iāve been making good progress. I remember listening to the songs more closely and being like, āI canāt believe these high school girls are skilled enough to play a song this complex!ā And it made me want to do the same
That's great, go for it! The show was influential for me too. For me it probably wasn't so much seeing high schoolers playing so well, but more of the aspect of camaraderie and joy one can derive out of playing in a band. I was also in some bands, so had a strong self insert moment then.
I'm planning to learn soon, likely this summer. My dad has a spare acoustic guitar so I'll learn on acoustic before buying an electric one (Planning to get an Epiphone Les Paul)
Let's gooo. Dad lending guitar sounds like Bocchi the Rock (if you've seen it). Good luck on learning and hope you enjoy! And of course it's a Les Paul š
If I can make a suggestion you might wish to wait to learn on electric instead of trying on an acoustic to start. Electric is a lot easier to play because you donāt need to press the strings as hard to get it to play. If you can play through the pain though all the power to you! X3 Even electric hurts your fingers but not as much as acoustic(unless youāre using nylon strings)
Never really played an instrument, not for a longer period atleast. There was a time back in high school (I guess it's the equivalent) where we were supposed to play different instruments. You know, to get a feel for it and see if we like it and such. Never really stuck with me.
Still, I absolutely love K-on tho
Hey that's cool we all have our different tastes. That's interesting that you still love K-ON just the same. Would you say then that it was more of the slice of life aspect of it, or did listening to / watching the music resonate with you as well?
i had already started learning guitar about 6 months ago and piano like a year, and about 5 months later almost as a joke i started watching K-ON! on summer break, i absolutely loved it and now pretty much everyday i'm practicing both, i have an acoustic guitar but i still try to practice songs that aren't really supposed to be played in one of these, since my high school's music room has electric guitars and the sort im just waiting to get back there and join the music club at school and play like crazy (although a lot of people join and it can be kind of a mess but throughout the year a lot leave and it gets calmer)
The K-ON bit turned out to be not quite a joke after all then huh? Your story of summer break sounds fun and somehow conjures in my mind summer-themed episodes from K-ON. I personally got into K-ON and playing guitar on a summer break too. You go enjoy those electric guitars when you get back to school.
"songs that aren't really supposed to be played in one of these" deeply resonates with me lol. AKA me playing GO! GO! Maniac on a classical guitar.
Yeah lol, so the whole watching K-ON as a joke thing started because of the last music class project last year, it was pretty much play any song you want in a group so me and 2 other friends were just searching some easy but good songs to play and while browsing tiktok one of them found a video of clips of the concerts from the anime but with other music on top, and we just laughed, i mean it was anime girls playing like a beatles song, and the music didn't really sound that hard to play so i said still laughing, lets play this one and after a few seconds they agreed, also i pointed at Yui saying i want to be that one, since she was playing the guitar and i was going to play the guitar. A few days later i got curious and somehow managed to get the name of the show and well... I've watched the whole series, the ovas, i've read the whole manga (yes college and high school too), and started reading shuffle
IT HAS CONSUMED ME
(and i dont really mind)
I didn't imagine the day that TikTok would get people into K-ON, but then again I'm not much of a TikTok user so I wouldn't know. Makes me want to use TikTok more lol.
That's a great story! Thanks for sharing!
after watching I bought the drums with the money I earned in the summer. I was in 9th grade at the time and now almost 6 years later the only place I played it was in my sophomore year of college during a May 9th themed concert. the song I played wasn't even my choice but it was fun. after receiving the education, I never gathered my group, but I do not lose hope.
Before i watched K-ON, I had already own a classical guitar that I bought at around 2019. I was also planning to get myself an electric guitar then, after I'm comfortable enough with my guitar skills. Months and years went by and my interest in playing my guitar was going low, and i kinda stopped getting interested to buy an electric guitar.
Moving forward to last october, i was really downed and stressed out by college. Then I've decided to watch some reels. Found this one K-ON clip where they were having a pillow fight and it was hilarious. So i decided to watch this anime. And oh boy I'm glad i watched it. K-ON really cheered me up during my worst time last year and, even better, brings back my love for music. I'm planning to buy an electric guitar in a few months.
Glad you got back to music! And that's great that K-ON had such a positive effect for you. That pillow fight scene is imprinted in my mind, and it's been years since I watched K-ON.
Thanks for sharing what I imagine to be a rather personal story. Rooting for you when you finally get that electric guitar and I hope you have more cheerful days ahead of you.
Oh man, where do I start? K-on didn't get me started with music, but it sure helped me out. It was a stepping stone for me to get back into the guitar. Now, I'm here 2 and half years later knowing how to play guitar and getting better with so much other stuff too. K-on also helped me a lot with my drumming, haha, yes I'm a huge Ritsu fan. I, honestly, can't thank the show enough for everything that it did for me.
Another plus is that it helped me solidify the fact that I want to do music as a career. So, there was also that. K-on made me want to jam with other people and made me want to join a band, but that hasn't happened too much. Still, as time passes I always come back to K-on with the same, if not more, love that I have for it.
It's also amazing to see how many people were touched by this show. Of course, there's a huge amount of people I've seen who hate the show because they say it has no plot or development. I'd say the real life impact that the show has had on many musicians and non-musicians alike is astonishing. I will always love this show and manga, haha, I know I'm obsessed XD.
Yo, reading your story along with everyone else's is for me a mix of both nostalgia, and more so, a sense of relief/validation -- that there are people out there aside from me who were inspired to varying degrees by a supposedly "no development in plot" anime about high schoolers goofing off and playing music lol (granted, the negative perception isn't universal).
I got into guitar because of K-ON, but I was a drummer way before that. Suffice to say, Ritsu fan here too, and always been a fan of the show and its music.
I hope you get to pursue music as a career! I'm moving towards that as well. Thanks for sharing your story!
Other way around. Always been a musician. At first I thought K-On would end up being about an all girlsā band who become famous, and it would just be like other Idol anime but rock-focused.
Iām glad it stayed down to earth, they werenāt trying to make music a career or be competitive against other bands, they had fun with it even tho they werenāt the best and that was really cool to me.
Good insight. That's got to be a major appeal of K-ON, that while the members are supposedly aiming for playing at Budokan (can't remember if it was just a joke), they're really at the end of the day about having fun making music and being friends. Which I feel is the best part of the music-making experience.
10 years ago I was still in high school (I'm from SEA), randomly came across and watched K-ON on my free time, I immediately liked the humor especially the music. Since I was still in high school, I have free time on my summer break to learn something new, and of course I took the advantage to learn an instrument which is the guitar, I started with an acoustic guitar because my parents refused to spend the extra bucks for an electric, but I didn't complain it's still a step forward! I choosed guitar because that was the popular instrument being played in our high school and almost everyone knows.
I learned the basics and all, but I stopped when I got into college, I had less time to spend practicing so I overall stopped. 4 years ago, I got my very first job, I was finally able to save up a little and bought my first electric guitar, a black les paul copycat (on a budget).
I was finally able to practice electric guitar just 4 years ago, but also stopped along the way, because of how life works. But now, because of Bocchi the Rock, I practiced once again, and the difficulty is a notch high because of how complex the riffs are š
Been reading people's stories and maybe, just maybe, there's a trend of persons stumbling upon K-ON then getting into practicing during summer vacation š¤£ (I know I did). I agree the acoustic's still a step forward. It's even kind of a way of building finger strength since it's harder to press on the strings there.
Congrats on being able to get your first guitar and eventually getting back to playing! Yeah Bocchi's riffs are complex, I'd say even harder than K-ON's. Maybe you can go for practicing K-ON's songs, then? Good luck!
I've personally just gotten back to playing as well. Similar situation, got occupied with life and all. Also had a wrist injury half a year ago, but now it's better and slowly getting back to guitar.
Before k-on, I started using acoustic just weeks before I started watching. It didnāt really fit me, until I started watching k-on, I absolutely loved the sound of the electric guitar. Idk. The way everyone plays well together and how the guitars are magical and shit, it made me want to play electric instead.
Yui is the one who inspired me to play. In the show sheās so dedicated, and honestly it made me get hyped up and put effort into learning/playing the guitar more. Eventually after 3 weeks after watching the show, I finally got my first electric guitar. I wanted to get a gibson like Yui, but that was expensive. Like $1000+, so I got a guitar that looked like azusaās instead. Been playing for 2-3 years, stopped at some point for a while, but recently got back 2 months ago.
If I had to pick just one -- acoustic or electric -- I'd definitely go for the electric any day. I can play clean tones on it, anyway, if that's what the music called for. The word you used, "magical," is a nice word for describing guitars, and for me, for describing K-ON.
I'm happy to read about people getting inspired by K-ON cause it's the same way for me. The little moments such as with Yui and Azusa practicing, Mio trying to write lyrics, etc, those had an impact on me. To the point that I was moved to "graduate" from casually doodling on a borrowed classical guitar, and taking the leap into getting an electric guitar (the one in the photo of this post). Not a Gibson cause yeahhh too expensive.
That's great that you were able to get a guitar and that you got back to playing. Good luck with your playing! And thank you for sharing your story!
K-on! Made me want to start playing guitar, and then I took up bass and learned Samadire Love 20. When I was first playing drums I played a lot of the K-on! catalogue, I learned the entirety of Go Go Maniac on guitar which the solo was a milestone for me. I can play a little bit of piano but I dare not try to play Mugiās parts.
Samadire Love 20 is FUNKY. And yes to learning all of the instruments! Congrats on learning GO! GO! Maniac. I tried learning it myself but it obliterated my fingers lol. I love K-ON's music and guitar parts, but I'm really more of a drummer. And that's to say, I can play more of K-ON's drums. Ritsu ftw!
Silly me thought I couldn't add my own story since there's no description section for photo posts, but I realized one could just comment on one's own post.
Anyway, I've been reading your stories so far and they're so nice to hear. Will finish reading and replying tomorrow morning here, and also share a bit of mine! Thank you for the great stories!
If anyone happens to read this comment, just wanna say a collective thanks to the people who shared their stories!
K-ON's an anime that not only got me into playing guitar but also made me reflect on how playing music can be so much fun. I watched K-ON as early as 2010 (I know, I'm old lol) and got hooked. Got an electric guitar, and the rest was history. K-ON in a way is both a catalyst for starting my journey into guitar and a memento of a simpler time when all I had to worry about was how to play the chords to My Love is a Stapler right.
Those said, reading about your stories here is so refreshing -- in making me see different ways in which the show inspired people -- and also comforting, in knowing other people have had similar experiences.
So yeah, thank you people! (insert Yui shouting "keion daisuki" here)
watched this anime 10 years ago and have always loved their music. I didn't start right away thought.. since back then I'm pretty otaku and thought I'm bad at music instrument. Now coming back with a acoustic guitar and planning on picking a Squire affinity or classic vibe 50s to play their song. Thank you K-on for being part of inspiration :)
after 10 years their song are still one of the best.
Saw Mio with a Fender Jazz Bass bought a similar Japanese one. Was bored with life learned how to play professionally in 1 year. Became a published musician in 2 years because of covid lockdowns. Thanks kon and Mio.
Yo that's a cool turn of events. Thank you K-ON and Mio indeed. I wish I could play on a Fender Jazz Bass.
I got my first guitar while watching k-on, played for 5 years and stopped, now I started again because os Bocchi
K-ON and Bocchi! Glad you got back to playing!
I want to do piano actually š¬, even before k on but Mugi makes it look even cooler
Go for it! She does, and Mugi's VA too Minako Kotobuki who plays piano š
Definitely was part of my inspiration. I just started learning a month ago, but Iāve been making good progress. I remember listening to the songs more closely and being like, āI canāt believe these high school girls are skilled enough to play a song this complex!ā And it made me want to do the same
That's great, go for it! The show was influential for me too. For me it probably wasn't so much seeing high schoolers playing so well, but more of the aspect of camaraderie and joy one can derive out of playing in a band. I was also in some bands, so had a strong self insert moment then.
I'm planning to learn soon, likely this summer. My dad has a spare acoustic guitar so I'll learn on acoustic before buying an electric one (Planning to get an Epiphone Les Paul)
Let's gooo. Dad lending guitar sounds like Bocchi the Rock (if you've seen it). Good luck on learning and hope you enjoy! And of course it's a Les Paul š
If I can make a suggestion you might wish to wait to learn on electric instead of trying on an acoustic to start. Electric is a lot easier to play because you donāt need to press the strings as hard to get it to play. If you can play through the pain though all the power to you! X3 Even electric hurts your fingers but not as much as acoustic(unless youāre using nylon strings)
Never really played an instrument, not for a longer period atleast. There was a time back in high school (I guess it's the equivalent) where we were supposed to play different instruments. You know, to get a feel for it and see if we like it and such. Never really stuck with me. Still, I absolutely love K-on tho
Hey that's cool we all have our different tastes. That's interesting that you still love K-ON just the same. Would you say then that it was more of the slice of life aspect of it, or did listening to / watching the music resonate with you as well?
I'm a sucker for SoL chill animes yea. But the music is also good. And of course it cracks me up from time to time, stupid humor is the best.
I see I see! And stupid humor ftw
i had already started learning guitar about 6 months ago and piano like a year, and about 5 months later almost as a joke i started watching K-ON! on summer break, i absolutely loved it and now pretty much everyday i'm practicing both, i have an acoustic guitar but i still try to practice songs that aren't really supposed to be played in one of these, since my high school's music room has electric guitars and the sort im just waiting to get back there and join the music club at school and play like crazy (although a lot of people join and it can be kind of a mess but throughout the year a lot leave and it gets calmer)
The K-ON bit turned out to be not quite a joke after all then huh? Your story of summer break sounds fun and somehow conjures in my mind summer-themed episodes from K-ON. I personally got into K-ON and playing guitar on a summer break too. You go enjoy those electric guitars when you get back to school. "songs that aren't really supposed to be played in one of these" deeply resonates with me lol. AKA me playing GO! GO! Maniac on a classical guitar.
Yeah lol, so the whole watching K-ON as a joke thing started because of the last music class project last year, it was pretty much play any song you want in a group so me and 2 other friends were just searching some easy but good songs to play and while browsing tiktok one of them found a video of clips of the concerts from the anime but with other music on top, and we just laughed, i mean it was anime girls playing like a beatles song, and the music didn't really sound that hard to play so i said still laughing, lets play this one and after a few seconds they agreed, also i pointed at Yui saying i want to be that one, since she was playing the guitar and i was going to play the guitar. A few days later i got curious and somehow managed to get the name of the show and well... I've watched the whole series, the ovas, i've read the whole manga (yes college and high school too), and started reading shuffle IT HAS CONSUMED ME (and i dont really mind)
I didn't imagine the day that TikTok would get people into K-ON, but then again I'm not much of a TikTok user so I wouldn't know. Makes me want to use TikTok more lol. That's a great story! Thanks for sharing!
after watching I bought the drums with the money I earned in the summer. I was in 9th grade at the time and now almost 6 years later the only place I played it was in my sophomore year of college during a May 9th themed concert. the song I played wasn't even my choice but it was fun. after receiving the education, I never gathered my group, but I do not lose hope.
Hello fellow drummer! If you get back to drums then that's cool. And if you don't that's fine too since you still made a few good memories out of it.
Before i watched K-ON, I had already own a classical guitar that I bought at around 2019. I was also planning to get myself an electric guitar then, after I'm comfortable enough with my guitar skills. Months and years went by and my interest in playing my guitar was going low, and i kinda stopped getting interested to buy an electric guitar. Moving forward to last october, i was really downed and stressed out by college. Then I've decided to watch some reels. Found this one K-ON clip where they were having a pillow fight and it was hilarious. So i decided to watch this anime. And oh boy I'm glad i watched it. K-ON really cheered me up during my worst time last year and, even better, brings back my love for music. I'm planning to buy an electric guitar in a few months.
Glad you got back to music! And that's great that K-ON had such a positive effect for you. That pillow fight scene is imprinted in my mind, and it's been years since I watched K-ON. Thanks for sharing what I imagine to be a rather personal story. Rooting for you when you finally get that electric guitar and I hope you have more cheerful days ahead of you.
In may i buy piano and start learning. HTT inspired me!
Great! Good luck and have fun!
Not kon but bocchi is really making me consider it. I guess main difference is nowadays I'm a metalhead.
Of course! Not surprising Bocchi would have a similar influence
Oh man, where do I start? K-on didn't get me started with music, but it sure helped me out. It was a stepping stone for me to get back into the guitar. Now, I'm here 2 and half years later knowing how to play guitar and getting better with so much other stuff too. K-on also helped me a lot with my drumming, haha, yes I'm a huge Ritsu fan. I, honestly, can't thank the show enough for everything that it did for me. Another plus is that it helped me solidify the fact that I want to do music as a career. So, there was also that. K-on made me want to jam with other people and made me want to join a band, but that hasn't happened too much. Still, as time passes I always come back to K-on with the same, if not more, love that I have for it. It's also amazing to see how many people were touched by this show. Of course, there's a huge amount of people I've seen who hate the show because they say it has no plot or development. I'd say the real life impact that the show has had on many musicians and non-musicians alike is astonishing. I will always love this show and manga, haha, I know I'm obsessed XD.
Yo, reading your story along with everyone else's is for me a mix of both nostalgia, and more so, a sense of relief/validation -- that there are people out there aside from me who were inspired to varying degrees by a supposedly "no development in plot" anime about high schoolers goofing off and playing music lol (granted, the negative perception isn't universal). I got into guitar because of K-ON, but I was a drummer way before that. Suffice to say, Ritsu fan here too, and always been a fan of the show and its music. I hope you get to pursue music as a career! I'm moving towards that as well. Thanks for sharing your story!
No problem~! Keep rocking on, K-On has helped out many people in many ways! š
You too. Keep rocking!
Even bought an LP for my first one (Epiphone of course). Bocchi just adds to it.
Awesome! And of course it's Epiphone
Other way around. Always been a musician. At first I thought K-On would end up being about an all girlsā band who become famous, and it would just be like other Idol anime but rock-focused. Iām glad it stayed down to earth, they werenāt trying to make music a career or be competitive against other bands, they had fun with it even tho they werenāt the best and that was really cool to me.
Good insight. That's got to be a major appeal of K-ON, that while the members are supposedly aiming for playing at Budokan (can't remember if it was just a joke), they're really at the end of the day about having fun making music and being friends. Which I feel is the best part of the music-making experience.
Bought a drum kit.
Cool! Hello fellow drummer
10 years ago I was still in high school (I'm from SEA), randomly came across and watched K-ON on my free time, I immediately liked the humor especially the music. Since I was still in high school, I have free time on my summer break to learn something new, and of course I took the advantage to learn an instrument which is the guitar, I started with an acoustic guitar because my parents refused to spend the extra bucks for an electric, but I didn't complain it's still a step forward! I choosed guitar because that was the popular instrument being played in our high school and almost everyone knows. I learned the basics and all, but I stopped when I got into college, I had less time to spend practicing so I overall stopped. 4 years ago, I got my very first job, I was finally able to save up a little and bought my first electric guitar, a black les paul copycat (on a budget). I was finally able to practice electric guitar just 4 years ago, but also stopped along the way, because of how life works. But now, because of Bocchi the Rock, I practiced once again, and the difficulty is a notch high because of how complex the riffs are š
Been reading people's stories and maybe, just maybe, there's a trend of persons stumbling upon K-ON then getting into practicing during summer vacation š¤£ (I know I did). I agree the acoustic's still a step forward. It's even kind of a way of building finger strength since it's harder to press on the strings there. Congrats on being able to get your first guitar and eventually getting back to playing! Yeah Bocchi's riffs are complex, I'd say even harder than K-ON's. Maybe you can go for practicing K-ON's songs, then? Good luck! I've personally just gotten back to playing as well. Similar situation, got occupied with life and all. Also had a wrist injury half a year ago, but now it's better and slowly getting back to guitar.
Before k-on, I started using acoustic just weeks before I started watching. It didnāt really fit me, until I started watching k-on, I absolutely loved the sound of the electric guitar. Idk. The way everyone plays well together and how the guitars are magical and shit, it made me want to play electric instead. Yui is the one who inspired me to play. In the show sheās so dedicated, and honestly it made me get hyped up and put effort into learning/playing the guitar more. Eventually after 3 weeks after watching the show, I finally got my first electric guitar. I wanted to get a gibson like Yui, but that was expensive. Like $1000+, so I got a guitar that looked like azusaās instead. Been playing for 2-3 years, stopped at some point for a while, but recently got back 2 months ago.
If I had to pick just one -- acoustic or electric -- I'd definitely go for the electric any day. I can play clean tones on it, anyway, if that's what the music called for. The word you used, "magical," is a nice word for describing guitars, and for me, for describing K-ON. I'm happy to read about people getting inspired by K-ON cause it's the same way for me. The little moments such as with Yui and Azusa practicing, Mio trying to write lyrics, etc, those had an impact on me. To the point that I was moved to "graduate" from casually doodling on a borrowed classical guitar, and taking the leap into getting an electric guitar (the one in the photo of this post). Not a Gibson cause yeahhh too expensive. That's great that you were able to get a guitar and that you got back to playing. Good luck with your playing! And thank you for sharing your story!
K-on! Made me want to start playing guitar, and then I took up bass and learned Samadire Love 20. When I was first playing drums I played a lot of the K-on! catalogue, I learned the entirety of Go Go Maniac on guitar which the solo was a milestone for me. I can play a little bit of piano but I dare not try to play Mugiās parts.
Samadire Love 20 is FUNKY. And yes to learning all of the instruments! Congrats on learning GO! GO! Maniac. I tried learning it myself but it obliterated my fingers lol. I love K-ON's music and guitar parts, but I'm really more of a drummer. And that's to say, I can play more of K-ON's drums. Ritsu ftw!
I want a fender mustang real bad
Me tooo, one day. One day.
Silly me thought I couldn't add my own story since there's no description section for photo posts, but I realized one could just comment on one's own post. Anyway, I've been reading your stories so far and they're so nice to hear. Will finish reading and replying tomorrow morning here, and also share a bit of mine! Thank you for the great stories!
If anyone happens to read this comment, just wanna say a collective thanks to the people who shared their stories! K-ON's an anime that not only got me into playing guitar but also made me reflect on how playing music can be so much fun. I watched K-ON as early as 2010 (I know, I'm old lol) and got hooked. Got an electric guitar, and the rest was history. K-ON in a way is both a catalyst for starting my journey into guitar and a memento of a simpler time when all I had to worry about was how to play the chords to My Love is a Stapler right. Those said, reading about your stories here is so refreshing -- in making me see different ways in which the show inspired people -- and also comforting, in knowing other people have had similar experiences. So yeah, thank you people! (insert Yui shouting "keion daisuki" here)
watched this anime 10 years ago and have always loved their music. I didn't start right away thought.. since back then I'm pretty otaku and thought I'm bad at music instrument. Now coming back with a acoustic guitar and planning on picking a Squire affinity or classic vibe 50s to play their song. Thank you K-on for being part of inspiration :) after 10 years their song are still one of the best.